Georg Christoph Bach (6 September 1642 – 27 April 1697) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
composer. He was the son of Christoph Bach and the elder brother of
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
's father
Johann Ambrosius Bach
Johann Ambrosius Bach (22 February 1645 – ) was a German musician, father to Johann Sebastian Bach.
Life
Johann Ambrosius Bach was born in Erfurt, Germany, the son of musician Christoph Bach (1613–1661). He was the twin brother of Joh ...
.
Life
Georg Christoph Bach was born in
Erfurt
Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits i ...
, Germany, in 1642. He was trained in music in
Arnstadt and attended the
Casimirianum in
Coburg
Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...
and later
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...
. In 1668, he became
cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
and organist in
Themar
Themar () is a town in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Werra, 11 km northwest of Hildburghausen, and 14 km southwest of Suhl.
Main sights
* St. Bartholomew's Church, Themar
* St. J ...
, and from 1688 until his death he was the cantor at St. Johannis in
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban ag ...
, where his uncles Johann and Heinrich Bach had been organists.
Works
His most well known work is ''Siehe, wie fein und lieblich ist es'' for two tenors, bass, violin, three gambas and continuo. It was composed on his 47th birthday and a visit to Schweinfurt by his two younger twin brothers. Four of his
chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the German Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chorale cantata includes m ...
s are extant, on the hymns "
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
"" ("From Heaven Above to Earth I Come") is a hymn text relating to the Nativity of Jesus, written by Martin Luther in 1534. The hymn is most often sung to the melody, Zahn No. 346, which first appeared in a 1539 songbook and was probably al ...
", "O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen", "
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...
", and "
Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht
"" ("I shall not leave my Jesus") is a German Lutheran hymn, with lyrics by Christian Keimann written in 1658. The theme of the hymn is trust in Jesus, based on memorial sermons for John George I, Elector of Saxony recalling conversations of the e ...
". A Schweinfurt inventory of 1689 lists three other vocal works: ''Gott ist unsere Zuversicht'', ''Wie lieblich sind auf den Bergen'' and ''Wohl her, lasset uns wohl leben''.
See also
*
Bach family
The Bach family refers to several notable composers of the baroque and classical periods of music, the best-known of whom was Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). A family genealogy was drawn up by Johann Sebastian Bach himself in 1735 when he ...
*
Altbachisches Archiv
Notes
References
*
*
External links
Georg Christoph Bach Information on the composer and his works, by Aryeh Oron
Recordings
''Siehe, wie fein und lieblich ist es''on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bach, Georg Christoph
1642 births
1697 deaths
Bach family